My two cents on changing the world

This week, while serving, I learned the importance of gratitude. This little kid, Michael, was maybe three years old. Every time I brought something to his family's table, whether it was an appetizer, drinks, or their meals, each time he would ask my name, and tell me thank you. It was probably the cutest thing ever. Even when I would walk away to the kitchen, he would shout, "Thank you!" At the end of the meal, I overheard him saying to the table, "He did such a good job! Look at my tummy!" as he pointed to his stomach, somehow correlating his satiated hunger to the efficiency of my service.

After the family left, I started to think this: Did I only find this comical because it was strange? And if so, why was it so strange? I started to realize that it's crazy how it has to seem "strange" to hear "Thank You" over and over again. What happened to our once gratuitous society?

Though many great customers come in and are very respectful, there is the usual crowd of people who are offish to the server, do not make eye contact, and simply expect great service. In their defense, that is exactly what they should expect, because we should be on the top of our game. But, portraying that with a pompous attitude really doesn't get anybody anywhere. It stresses out the server, which makes the customer uneasy, which then starts this spiraling chain reaction, which in turn, lessens the experience for both parties.

Michael taught me that one should not be surprised by a simple "Thank You."